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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 1438601" data-attributes="member: 2209">The core rules present some archetypes but not the only possible ones. There are good paladins but no evil paladins. Monks are mechanically all the same (less so in 3.5 but still significantly so) and so are generally all paladins. Want to play a fencing master? If you solely rely upon roleplaying then your character will not be as effective at hitting the role. That was the case in past editions when you could play a dextrous fighter who didn't wear heavy armor, but you were essentially handicapping yourself mechanically in doing so. Now with feats, multiclassing, and prestige classes, it is much easier to meet that archetype and remain balanced power wise with other equal level characters. Also your class abilities can reflect your archetype with weapon finesse, quickdraw, improved initiative, etc. And that is just in the core rules. More options just allows you to do so more and in different ways. For instance there is the prestige class in the DMG, a similar one in Librum Equitis, a core class swashbuckler in the Complete Warrior, or the unfettered in Arcana Unearthed. Pretty much all are better at mechanically allowing a balanced swashbuckler than a straight fighter and all will have more of a swashbuckler feel than a fighter in previous editions unless you used outside sources such as the duelist class from dragon magazine.Before there were alternate classes and homebrewed classes in plenty of games, now with the OGL they are just more prevalent.But I wouldn't worry about it. Most players don't get more than the PH if that, and many DMs run core rules only games. Also IME many players still mostly use core classes and feats even given vast open sourcebook options.</blockquote>

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